Tribune Online Sports Story

Captain Comeback rallies MU
Farmer's late-game heroics come up just short of win

Missouri's Joe Chirumbolo, right, rumbles 20 yards
for a touchdown in the second quarter of Tigers' overtime
loss to Colorado. MU quarterback Kirk Farmer later hit
Chirumbolo for a 16-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
It was just one of many late Farmer completions that
nearly brought the Tigers' back from 14 points down.

On the second play of the drive, Farmer
connected with wideout Kent Layman on a 55-yard pass to the CU
33-yard line. Three plays later, he, after discovering his
receivers were covered, bolted up the middle for a 21-yard TD
with 3:04 remaining.

After Brad Hammerich recovered his on-side kick
at the MU 46, Farmer marched the Tigers 54 yards on seven plays
in just 1:19, hitting Eric Spencer on a 27-yard TD pass with 1:42
remaining.

On the proceeding play, the usually reliable
Layman dropped a pass while standing wide open in the end zone.

Farmer, however, displayed his leadership
ability, not allowing the seemingly easy play to fluster him.

"I wasnt going to say anything to
Kent. Ive been in that position of making a big play and I
go bad," said Farmer, who led the Tigers on a pair of
fourth-quarter TD drives to seal last Saturdays victory
against Memphis. "I said, Thats OK. Were
going to score pretty soon here anyway. "

Layman admired Farmers poise.

"He just kind of took control,"
Layman said. "It was really good to see him doing whatever
it takes."

Impressively, Farmers confidence remained
intact even though he had fired a horrendous pass that looked
more intended for CU defensive end Brady McDonnell than Tiger
tight end Dwayne Blakley midway through the fourth.

McDonnell returned the interception 24 yards to
the MU 1, setting up Mike Moschettis one-yard TD run with
6:15 remaining in the fourth.

"Id probably never felt so low, to
hear about 60,000 people cheering for your mistake," said
Farmer, who started because sophomore Jim Dougherty still was
hampered by an abdominal muscle strain that he suffered against
Memphis. "I started praying. I asked God, If You can
pull me out of this, please do. "